Photo Finishers and Professional Photo Labs will see the recently announced HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press, HP Designjet Z6800 Photo Production Printer and HP Latex 300 Printer series, along with the new HP Live Paper technology allowing customers to bridge paper and digital worlds.

HP announced that it will be showcasing the latest HP Indigo, Designjet and Latex printers, as well as new HP inks and media at photokina (16-21 September 2014, Cologne, Germany).  At its booth (Hall 4, Level 2, stand E008), visitors to photokina will see the HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press, demonstrated for the first time in Europe, the HP Latex 300 Printer series and the HP Designjet Z6800 Photo Production Printer in action.

Interactive demonstrations of new HP Live Paper will reveal how this groundbreaking technology can bridge the gap between printed and digital media. Visitors will have the opportunity to use their mobile devices to link to digital information and augmented reality experiences via printed photos.

HP will also introduce the new E-Canvas developed with alliance one partner, Felix Schoeller, to enable HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press users to print directly onto this new canvas substrate.  This increased media versatility for HP Indigo customers will change business models for canvas printing by cutting production time and increasing cost-effective print formats, up to 32x46cm size.

In addition, HP’s new Light Cyan and Light Magenta inks for the HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press and new media options will be presented for the first time. HP will showcase how the inks further extend the colour gamut and deliver smoother transitions, less grain and improved skin tones.

“Demonstrating HP’s leadership in the photo applications market, the latest products and solutions on the HP stand will show how HP’s innovative technologies can help photo finishers and professional photo labs unlock new capabilities and applications for photo printing,” said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, EMEA, PPS, HP. “As the digital photo market matures, photo finishers and professional photo labs are looking for ways to offer something different and add value. At photokina, HP is offering new technologies and partnerships that achieve those goals, helping customers grow their business and achieve higher profit margins.”

HP Live Paper creates a fully interactive, cost-effective link between the printed and digital worlds utilising HP’s fleet of augmented reality tools.  By simply holding a mobile device over photos, users can gain access to a wealth of digital information and experiences, such as video footage of the same event in the photo or the full online album of photos taken at that event. This innovative technology can also be used to drive sales, taking the user directly to a photographer’s contact details or to an online ordering system for repeat prints.

The HP Indigo 7800 builds on the success of the flagship HP Indigo 7000 series that has more than 1200 installations worldwide. The HP Indigo 7800 offers photofinishers and professional photo labs with new capabilities for high-value applications, such as simplified professional colour management from an in-line spectrophotometer. With the ability to print directly on to canvas, as well as synthetic substrates and plastic greeting cards thanks to the press’s One-Shot Color technology, this latest HP Indigo press offers users increased media versatility and additional revenue streams.

For the first time in Europe, HP will be printing lay-flat photobooks live on the new HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press with Felix Schoeller E-PHOTO® Paper. High-value lay-flat photobooks printed on HP Indigo 7800, HP Indigo WS6600p and HP Indigo 10000 Digital Presses in a range of formats can be finished automatically with the FastBlock system from Imaging Solutions. Lay-flat books have the advantages of always lying open flat for ease of viewing and have no visible central gutter for optimum image presentation.

Applications printed on the HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press will also be on display at the HP booth. The B2 size format press (740 x 530mm/ 29.5 x 20.9 inches) enables oversize photo applications such as lay-flat photo books, book covers, calendars, and posters, and efficient production of standard-size photo products. The HP Latex 300 Printer series offers new capabilities for photo printing, new media options, and new application possibilities through HP Finishing and Media Partners.

Launched at FESPA Digital 2014, the HP Latex 300 Printer series print onto a wide range of substrates ranging from new HP Latex Certified canvases, including uncoated and 100 per cent cotton canvases, papers, films, and self-adhesive materials. This extensive versatility provides designers and photo finishers with numerous business growth possibilities by extending their offering to poster, photomural, backlit and canvas printing.

The end-to-end HP Latex Technology solution for canvas printing comprises file generation (single file and split file), HP WallArt cloud software and innovative stretching and cutting systems from finishing partners, Imaging Solutions and Fotoba (respectively). The recently announced HP Designjet Z6800 Photo Production Printer is the fastest graphics production printer of its class. Using HP Double Swath Technology and HP Vivid Photo inks with chromatic red, the HP Designjet Z6800 can print indoor applications and gallery-quality prints with 200 years durability.